Coylton Tennis Club Committee Meeting

20th June 2023

Attendees: Allan Thomson, Lynn Drummond, Marion Murdoch, Elizabeth Milroy, Beth Davidson, Gillian Murray, Joan Purdie, Fraser Drummond, Jill Taylor, Grant Murray, Gillian Dick, Caitlin Murray and Elisabeth Gelling

Apologies:

Constitution update

The changes in the proposed constitution for application to become a SCIO were discussed and agreed. The FD will make the final edits to the document and send to the committee members to check for errors and mistakes before placing the application.

SCIO and CASC updates

LD and FD made the case for the club to become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation on the advice of Colin Love and Paul Wright of South Ayrshire Council. The major advantage would be that this would open the availability of funding from a much larger group than without it. It was agreed to follow this course of action and sign up.

FD has sent of an application for the club to be registered as a CASC (Community Amateur Sports Club) with HMRC in order to get any benefits that can accrues from such. Prior consultation with Paul Wright and Colin Love suggested there were no problems with doing this.

Community SCIO and plans

LD spoke about the recent Community Council led meeting where the discussion was about the various organisations within the community should join up and form a SCIO that involves the entire community, which opens untapped avenues for funding. It was agreed that the club should be a member of this SCIO. More details will follow over time.

Funds for a local defibrillator

LD asked if the club was willing to donate £100 to the community for a defibrillator. LD to follow this up.

Update to calendar and new junior tournaments

LD announced a revised calendar for juniors with new junior tournaments that will be run by the club coaches.

New court surfacing

LD spoke about the costs for resurfacing and estimates that a request for £150,000 should allow all 3 courts to be replaced by tarmac, which option allows for the surface to be upgraded once it has bedded in. Members also suggested that the club could look into getting a top that sits on the new surface which makes it a little more forgiving. LD to keep looking into this.

Replacement store shed

The store container is in bad repair so the suggestion was put forward that it could be demolished and replaced with a metal shed instead of a container which is less suitable. FD said that initial investigation said that we would need permission to erect a replacement; the building warrant for the current store says it should be demolished after 5 years so that won’t need permission. Queries were raies about the store having asbestos in it; the exterior is all metal, so an investigation of the cavity (if there is one) needs to be done.

Reminder for captains to:

1. Check members’ payments
2. Arrange club championships or delegate some to do this

AT said he would get Ross Duncan to do this.

Possibility of a mixed doubles open night

It was agreed that a Thursday or a Tuesday evening would work best. AT and GM said they would check with the men and advise back.

Lease – any progress

FD said that Colin Love was in the process of creating a new lease for the club, even though one had been agreed upon by all sides and had gone to an executive committee of the SAC for final approval just before the Covid pandemic broke.

Possibilities for a new treasurer for next year

EM said she had tested this with some people at her work and thought she could have someone lined up to take over. EM to follow this up.

AOB

There was no AOB. FD had submitted a claim to the South Ayrshire Council Non-Domestic Rates Department. The following day, a letter/notice from them has granted Coylton LTC 100% relief for 2023/2024 from the rates invoice it received and should give the club a full rebate for the sum of £553.05 it has already paid towards this bill. The original total was for £5,527.80.

Close of meeting

20 June 2023